The Black Unicorns honor marathon history

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With the running of the 129th Boston Marathon, over 30 thousand stories will be recorded into history, some huge and some so small. They will be cherished only by the people, family and friends of those who really care.

The huge narratives will talk about the ultimate victors of the 26.2-mile adventure through the streets of Massachusetts. Wheelchair champions Marcel Hug of Switzerland finished first in a time of one hour, 21 minutes and 34 seconds for his eighth marathon, and American female Savannah Scaroni won her second in one hour, 35 minutes and 20 seconds.

Kenyans John Korir, who finished 2:04:45 and Sharon Lokedi, who finished 2:17:22, breaking the old course record by over two minutes, were victorious in the men’s and women’s professional running divisions. John and his brother Wesley are the only siblings to ever win the Boston Marathon.

And while runners from the African continent continue their domination of marathon running, African Americans and other minorities from communities of color continue to ask the question: Why can’t we compete, especially against our foreign brothers and sisters from the African continent.

Marilyn Bevans became the first African American woman to win a marathon. PHOTO: MARILYN BEVANS

Breaking it down this way, Rochelle Solomon, co-founder of Black Unicorn Marathoners, said, “African Americans as well as other minorities of color will become dominant on the marathon scene when there is more attention given to training and adopting the mindset needed to develop such athletes in marathon running.”

The Black Unicorn Marathoners organization deserves credit for its ongoing efforts to honor those minorities that have blazed a trail for the current generation to follow. On April 19, the 11th Annual Black Unicorn Marathoners Celebrate and Connect Event had  a dual ceremony  that was held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. There, they honored such running pioneers as Aaron Morris, from Brooklyn, New York, who is recognized as the first person of color to run the Boston Marathon back on April 19, 1919, exactly 106 years ago. He finished sixth in a time of two hours, 37 minutes and 31 seconds.

In 1977, Ms. Bevans became the first African American woman to medal in Boston. PHOTO: MARILYN BEVANS

The celebratory event included highest honors to Marilyn Bevans, the first U.S.-born African American Woman to run a sub-three-hour marathon in Boston, back in 1975. Other names to the 2025 Bevans 50th Anniversary Team include: Alisa Harvey, with a distinguished running career spanning over 40 years; Michelle Wheeler, a world-class wheelchair marathoner, mother, clinical rehabilitation counselor, and winner of the Boston Half Marathon and the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in 2024; Erica Stanley-Dottin, a dynamic force in the running world who is co-captain of the Black Roses NYC, the 25th U.S.-born Black woman to break the three-hour barrier in two hours and 52 minutes at the Berlin Marathon; and Tay Artis, a former hurdler-turned-distance runner who debuted in the 2018 Chicago Marathon through the Nike Women Marathon Project and earned her first Boston Qualifier in Berlin in 2022.

There was also special recognition paid to the 1955 team of color, led by Theodore “Ted” Corbitt and two Puerto Rican runners, Rudy Méndez and Luis Torres, who holds the distinction of being the only minority squad to win the Boston Marathon Team Championship.

In their mission statement, the Black Unicorn Marathoners Celebrate and Connect BIPOC   runners associated with the Boston Marathon, from qualifiers and charity runners to invited entrants and alumni. “We strive to elevate the visibility of Black excellence in long-distance running, build bridges to the next generation, and expand the narrative of who belongs on the marathon stage. Our vision is one of connection, education, and transformation — ensuring that the Boston Marathon reflects the full breadth of its community, now and for future generations.